The Pilgrim Collection

In May 2016 I was invited to display my work at the Whithorn Trust and after visiting the nearby St Ninian’s Cave, I created a number of paintings inspired by the notion of pilgrimage. On the day of our visit there was a wooden cross on the hill above the cave itself and several more crudely made crosses around the cave itself. Copper coins had been jammed into crevices in the soft sandstone walls of the cave and everywhere there were signs that the cave is still an active repository of prayers and offerings.

The last part of the walk down to the cave is the most physically demanding as the approach is over a very stony beach, with large, uneven pebbles that make you pick your way carefully to avoid turning an ankle. I found myself having to slow down and take care to place my feet very carefully.

The feelings of the pebbles underfoot were what inspired this group of abstract paintings which contain the colours of the day – red sandstone and dark bluey-grey granite, pockets of vivid green turf amongst the rocks with sea pinks bobbing in the breeze and the ever present sea and scudding clouds across the sky.

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The largest piece in the collection is “Insight”, an abstract mixed media piece which incorporates paint, collage, inks and charcoal. It has always stimulated discussion wherever it has been shown and reveals many different meanings to people.

To see what paintings are available, please visit the Fine Art department of the shop.